Marble
by Eternaltsundere
Summary: ABANDONED FIC. Gene falls down the staircase at the end of the book instead of Finny.
1. The Fall

The room was dark. Not blindingly so, not even enough so faces weren't distinguishable, but enough for me to slip away unnoticed, I supposed. Their voices ... they rose up around me, trapping me, and I felt I had no other place to go but _away. _I couldn't stay here. Especially not with Finny. Not anymore.

"The one who moved first shook the other one's balance!" exclaimed a voice from the platform. I felt sick. Shaking my head as if on impulse, I rose and started to back away. _I couldn't stay here. _

"Was the one who fell..." It was Brinker this time. "Was Phineas, in other words, the one who moved first or second?"

I didn't - I _couldn't _stay to hear the answer. Whipping around, I broke into a run, and all hopes of silently escaping this room, this punishment of mine vanished. "Gene!" came Brinker's voice, and I wondered briefly if anyone was worried about me. "Wait! We haven't got the facts yet!" Of course. Of course that was all Brinker cared about.

As I sprinted out the door and down the corridor, I caught Phineas's voice, though quieter, rushed. "You get all your facts, Brinker!" he yelled, and I thought I heard tears in his voice. "You collect every f-ing fact in the world!" Before I even had time to process my former friend's words, I felt the ground give a jolt and then disappear from beneath me. I had reached the staircase.

Tumbling down, a single thought reached me; _just like his fall. Getting what I deserved. _But it wasn't like Phineas's fall at all. I fell and I hit and I fell and I hit until finally I reached the bottom, my world nothing but agony. The world swirled around me and I felt as if I was in fog, a fog which was only punctuated by the excruciating pain from my body and my head. Vaguely, I heard the crowd's hurried footsteps as they all took off to find the source of whatever commotion my fall must have caused. Why were they even bothering? I had done this to Finny, and now I had done it to myself. It was my fault…

"Gene!" the voice was Phineas's; I heard his hobbled steps as he reached the top of the staircase. He must have been heading off the chase. "_Gene!_" Why did he care? "Gene!" Brinker shouted. "Gene!" echoed various others. So many voices… they only furthered my headache; why wouldn't they be quiet?

I felt strong hands slipping under me, as if to lift me upwards, but they stopped in their tracks at the next thing Brinker said; "No! Don't move him!" I was left alone again, or at least as alone as I could've been left. Frantic voices still pressed in on me, and I did my best to ignore them. It wasn't quite quiet enough, but I thought perhaps I could go to sleep; I was so tired… My eyes drifted shut, and I realized for the first time that they had been open, though the fog hadn't cleared enough for me to see.

"Don't go to sleep," cried Finny, and the panic in his voice made my eyes flutter open again. But I was so _tired. _Why couldn't …

"I've sent Brownie to go fetch Dr. Stanpole," Brinker said. "Phil is looking for the light switch." Not long after the words the room was suddenly illuminated and I was briefly blinded – more so than I had been before, at least – before I was able to make out a few blurry faces around me.

"Can somebody go see if there are blankets on the platform?" came Brinker's sharp voice again. Shortly afterwards I was being wrapped; parts of the blanket felt moist, and I realized foggily that I must be bleeding somewhere. Really, it didn't seem to be my problem anymore… I was tired, and the hush that had befallen the room was so inviting… My eyelids started to droop again, only startled back to awareness by a soft but frantic prod to my face. I couldn't see; I couldn't think. I still heard voices, but they were quiet, and the words were too muddled to make out – but I was sure that soon enough Dr. Stanpole's voice was in among the rest. Before long I was being raised by cautious hands and the last thing I saw before I let the darkness claim me were two bright, clear-green eyes.


	2. The Apology

**Finny**

As Gene took off running, I whipped around where I sat, eyes widening slightly in surprise. "Gene! Wait!" Brinker called, hurrying down from the platform. "We haven't got the facts yet!" A strange emotion seized me then; my face contorted with hatred as I turned on him. Him and his stupid _facts. _Rising unsteadily, I snapped, "You get all your facts, Brinker! You collect every f-ing fact in the world!" I was surprised by the tears that stung my eyes. I turned and hurried as fast as was possible across the marble floor and towards the doors, but before I had reached them, a series of loud, painful _cracks _and _thumps _from the staircase erupted, freezing me in my place.

_Gene. _I started off again, this time with more urgency. In that moment I stopped caring altogether what Gene may or may not have done to me. Right then, the only thing that was on my mind was getting to him. "Gene!" I shouted frantically. I reached the top of the staircase then, catching sight of the crumpled form at the bottom and my eyes adjusting quickly to the darkness; "_Gene!"_

It was truly horrible. My friend lay in a bloodied heap, and as I quickly but careful descended the staircase toward him, I assessed the damage. There was a small pool of blood forming around his chest and stomach area; a white rib poked through his chest, and the gash it formed appeared to be the source. His eyes were open, but they were unfocused, staring blankly forward; his head sported a distinctive trickle of blood. Blood – his whole body, at least the parts I could see, was covered in little nicks and cuts that oozed the stuff. I forgot everyone else in the moment that I saw Gene there, broken as I had once been.

All in all, it wasn't a pretty sight. I reached him then, and as I sunk (albeit a bit wobbily) to the floor beside him, I slipped my hands underneath his form. "No! Don't move him!" Brinker ordered from somewhere behind me. Instantly I withdrew from him. I didn't want to hurt him any more than he already was. Settling down next to him, I tuned out the frantic voices around me and focused on his tired eyes. They drifted shut as I stared and I ignored the urge to shake him awake.

"Don't go to sleep," I managed to choke out. _Please, _I added silently. _Don't die on me. _My silent prayers were answered as Gene's eyes opened again. "I've sent Brownie to go fetch Dr. Stanpole," Brinker assured me. "Phil is looking for the light switch." I nodded, saying nothing. Before long the lights came on and I blinked against the sudden brightness.

I didn't know how long I sat there. After a while, Brinker got someone to find a blanket, and I wrapped him as best as I could. The spots of blood that stained it made me cringe. Eventually, Brownie returned with Dr. Stanpole; he'd rushed to fetch him from his house, as Brinker had reasoned that with only a night nurse present the Infirmary would be a waste of time. I sat back and watched as Gene was examined silently; Dr. Stanpole lingered on his ribs and one wrist, and also seemed to take note of an extremely large gash on one leg. He had a chair brought in, and then Gene was being lifted upwards into it, away from me. I rose, peering sadly down into his unfocused eyes, and just as I did so I saw them focus briefly before falling shut.

They went to get Gene into the doctor's car, and I, knowing I would only be a burden, went back to our dorm room. I didn't know what else to do with myself. Eventually, I fell asleep; when I woke up again, it was to loud knocking sounds at the door.

"Finny! Let me in!" Brinker called, and, groaning, I got up and reached for my cane. Shuffling to the door, I opened it and gave him my best glare. Before I could tell him to leave, he pushed past me and into the room. "Dr. Stanpole's sent me to fetch Gene some things," he explained shortly. I blinked, all traces of hostility vanishing at the mention of Gene. "I'm coming with you," I told him, and he nodded simply.

After we had packed a bag, Brinker and I made our way to the infirmary. Inside, it was as dreary and oppressing as it had been the last time _I _had been here. Gene was sitting up in bed and clearly awake, but he was staring at nothing, his expression weary. He didn't even glance up when we entered. "We've brought your stuff," Brinker mumbled, looking a bit embarrassed to be there. He _should _be… this was all _his _damn fault! I blinked, surprised at the sudden anger I'd experienced.

Gene said nothing, still staring at his lap. As Brinker set the bag on a nearby stool and hurriedly exited the room, I felt a surge of annoyance run through me. It was as if he expected that _he _still had to forgive _me. _Why should I have even bothered coming, then, if he was only going to ignore me? What right did he have to angry, anyway?

But as I caught a glimpse of his eyes from beneath his bangs I knew that wasn't right. No, Gene was not angry… or at least, if he was, it wasn't at me. His gaze was sad and full of self-loathing. I sighed at the realization. "Gene..," I began, faltering. His head angled down even lower at my voice.

"Gene, I'm not angry – well, okay, maybe I am, a little, but _I can forgive you," _I murmured. "I _understand. _You tried to tell me back in Boston, and I didn't listen – but I remember it now. You didn't _mean _to do it, not really. It was just an – just an impulse, wasn't it? Yes, an impulse. I know you couldn't have hurt me for any other reason – and I know you didn't mean for all of this to happen." My voice wavered as I spoke, but I tried my best to keep my eyes dry. "I _forgive you, _Gene. Really, I do. I understand, and I forgive you. I don't –"

I fell silent in surprise as Gene snapped his head up and interrupted me; "How can you believe that? _How can you believe that?" _he cried, and I found myself shocked at the tears that escaped from his eyes. "That was it, that's what it was, but I – I – I don't know how to show you, Finny, how can I _show you _that I didn't mean it, that I never meant for any of this? It was just something crazy in me, and I'm so _sorry, _so damn sorry, but I can't show you that, you'll never know that!"

I stared at him for a long while, unable to disguise my own shock. Then I let my expression soften. Gene looked away as if unable to meet my eyes for any longer, and I spoke then: "You've already shown me." He glanced back to stare at me, face still wet with tears, and I continued, "You've already shown me, Gene, and I believe you." I smiled softly at him, hoping to alleviate his stress – and then gaped when his tears started up again with even more abandon.

Maybe he needed to be alone. I knew the feeling. He sunk down lower in the bed, and as I watched, he winced visibly; I still didn't actually know just how badly he was hurt. From the looks of it, though, he was definitely hurt. Staring sadly at him, I sighed and then turned to leave. "I'll be back later, okay, Gene?" He said nothing, though I could still hear his quiet sniffles as he tried to dry his tears. I wasn't going to press the issue.


End file.
